A North Center Trader Joe’s became the first unionized location in Illinois, more than two years after employees cast votes to join the union.
The grocery store, at 3745 N. Lincoln Ave., will become the fifth in the country to join the Trader Joe’s United independent union.
“For the Chicago crew … [this is] an example of how grit and constant fighting can lead to these results, despite the fact of how much money Trader Joe’s has and how much appeal power they claim to wield,” Trader Joe’s United National President Roberts Hönisch said. “So what we see right now in Chicago is an example that the workers aren’t done with this. It wasn’t a fleeting idea.”
The employees voted 70-70 in April 2024, with Trader Joe’s contesting one additional vote in the election, arguing it was cast by an employee ineligible to vote. The company said the worker was a temporary transfer to the store, but union supporters said it was a permanent transfer, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Trader Joe’s took its case to the National Labor Relations Board, also alleging interference by union supporters in the election. When the board voted in favor of Trader Joe’s United, the company appealed the decision.
The worker’s vote was in favor of the union, bringing the tally to 71-70 when the challenged vote was opened Wednesday.
Trader Joe’s didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Trader Joe’s United formed in 2022, with the first union store in Hadley, Massachusetts, followed by stores in Minneapolis, Louisville, Kentucky, and Oakland, California.
The Lincoln Avenue store would have about 140 union members, Hönisch said.
Trader Joe’s United is still bargaining for its first contract.
The grocer has enjoyed a reputation for being progressive, but the union said behind the scenes, it has engaged in union busting and “surface-level bargaining.”
“There is truthfully some scary stuff that you see going on on the national level with the company,” Hönisch said. “We often find that sometimes when talking to the national company, it seems almost like a complete pivot from the usual grocery store that you and I are both familiar with.”
He said management has said its locations don’t need a union.
Over the years, the company has faced several other labor-related complaints, ranging from alleged retaliation against workers at a Massachusetts store during a 2022 union push, to firing a Texas employee concerned about COVID-19 safety protocols in 2022.
“Trader Joe’s sort of operates in this area when they feel like they can get away with something, they’ll attempt it,” Hönisch said. “However, it makes all of us question what values does the company truly stand for.”
Trader Joe’s has six locations in Chicago and more than 600 nationwide.